To Ride the Wild Horse
by SkyStrider
Summary: At Tofu's insistence, Ranma and Akane go to a horse ranch with him and Kasumi to learn to ride, but the horses don't want to cooperate with Ranma until the Queen of the Stables decides to lend a hoof. Meanwhile, supernatural occurrences plague the quartet, forcing them to do some ghost-busting...
1. Riding

The usual disclaimer: Ranma ½ is a trademark of Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ Communications, and its characters have been borrowed without permission. This story was written for non-commercial purposes only.

This story is part "Bindings/The Next Cycle" Chronicles. See my profile for character breakdowns.

* * *

Chapter 1: Riding

"You know, I never seen someone get thrown as many times as you," the stableman said to Ranma. "It's lucky you keep landing on your feet."

Ranma stood where he had landed and threw a sour look at the man. This was the seventh time in three horses that Ranma had been bucked off. Then Ranma turned to the suddenly placid horse and glared at the horse. Now, Ranma was convinced someone was toying with him. All the horses had been sweet as sugar for the first few minutes, when, all of a sudden, they would throw Ranma off. This was despite the owner's assurances that each horse was more docile than the last. Akane's, Kasumi's, and Tofu's horses never misbehaved once.

"I don't get it," the stableman continued. "You're not doing anything wrong."

"Well, I'm going to start to," Ranma said. With that he walked over to the steady mare and looked her in the eye. "You want to play? Let's play!" He swore he saw a challenge in the horse's eyes.

* * *

***Earlier that week***

"We're going to do what?" Ranma demanded. Akane was busy squealing in a little girl voice.

"We're going to learn to ride horses," Tofu told him steadily. "Or, at least, you, Akane, and Kasumi are. I already know how."

"Any particular reason for this idiocy?"

"Yes," Tofu reply, but didn't elaborate.

"And that would be?" Ranma pressed.

"You need to broaden your horizons," Tofu answered.

"We need to train for the Solstice," Ranma stated in a hard voice. "Not go on a joy ride."

"This is battle training," Tofu insisted.

"How?" Ranma demanded.

Tofu considered that for a moment and decided to go for the truth. "Ranma, you have ties to the Feline, the Porcine, the Sea, and the Kitsune Kingdoms. The more Kingdoms you're tied to, the stronger your connection to the Nexus, and the stronger you become. Well Mr. Wild Horse, we're going to add the Equestrian Kingdom."

Ranma looked at Tofu oddly. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"You want to win? This will increase your – and our – chances," Tofu confirmed.

Ranma sighed. "Who's idea was this? Jakaro's?" he asked.

"Let's just say he agrees with me and let it go at that," Tofu said.

Ranma sighed again. Akane chimed in: "C'mon Ranma. It won't be that bad. School will be over at the end of the week anyway. You said you wanted to go on a training trip. This can be it."

Ranma looked at Tofu: "You swear this will be a training trip?" he demanded.

"Oh, yes. This will definitely be a training trip," Tofu said.

Ranma surrendered then. "Where is this ranch?"

"It's about five hours by train to the north," Tofu answered. "I've booked us for four days."

"Fine…"

* * *

***Back in the Present***

"Training trip," Ranma thought. "Right, so let's make this a training trip." He turned from the horse's head. The horse tried to nip him in the back only to find the young man had flowed into the saddle somehow. This startled the mare for a second.

"Whoa!" the stableman exclaimed. "How did you move so fast?"

Ranma ignored him. Instead, he spoke to the mare. "Guess you're not as quick as you thought." The horse threw him a dark look and started forward at a walk – without a command. As soon as the horse was clear of the stableman (who had introduced himself as Haruo), she bucked and kicked out. But Ranma was ready this time and he stayed in the saddle by hanging on tight. "Is that the best you can do?" he asked. "Because now I'm ready for you, and I can do a lot better than you can." The mare began to run around the corral ring.

"Ranma! Watch out!" Akane shouted as the horse tried to scrape the martial artists against the rail fence. Ranma slid his leg up and out of the way as the horse crashed against the fence. He leaned forward and wrapped a portion of the horse's mane in his fist. As the horse righted herself, Ranma slid back into position and hauled back on the mane. The horse reared up.

"Lady!" Haruo called out to the horse. "Stop that!" The man tried to run over and grab the horse, but she pranced away with Ranma clinging tightly to her back. Lady spun and danced trying to unseat her rider, but Ranma just locked his legs around her torso with incredible strength. The horse leaped into the air, but Ranma held on securely to the saddle and leaned forward to catch himself. When Lady came down, she bucked out again and broke out into a mad run around the ring. Along the way, she spun here and there like a tornado, but Ranma wouldn't let go. Finally, after a few minutes, Lady shuddered to a stop and stood there.

"Are you done now?" Ranma asked the horse. She huffed and snorted but did nothing else.

The stableman grabbed the horse by the bridle and asked: "Are you all right?"

"I'm good," Ranma replied.

"That was impressive, young man," Haruo said. "You can have a job around here if you'd like."

"Nah, I'm good," Ranma repeated. "So, how do I steer her?" he asked.

* * *

Tofu sat on his horse watching Ranma and Akane work with the horses and the ranch hand who was keeping a firm grip on Ranma's horse. "Did you do that?" Kasumi asked.

"No," Tofu answered her. "I have no idea what caused that."

"Could it be the Cat Fist?" she prompted.

"I don't know. Other animals don't react to the Cat Fist unless it's active, not even cats. There's no reason that horse should know about it," he told her.

"It has to be something about Ranma then," Kasumi concluded. "The last two horses threw him as well." Tofu just shrugged his shoulders.

Everyone practiced riding for about an hour. The stableman had stopped holding Ranma's horse and just stayed nearby. The horse, Lady, acted up a few times, but Ranma just locked his legs around her and she immediately stopped. Suddenly, a cold wind sprung up and poured through the corral they were working in. All the horses stopped walking and stood there shivering. Ranma stood tall in the stirrups and scanned the area.

"What's wrong with them?" Tofu asked.

"It's the Ghost Wind," Haruo replied. "It appears out of nowhere. When it does occur, it spooks the horses something fierce." Suddenly, Lady lay down. Ranma jumped clear. "Damn it!" the man cursed. Before he could say anything else, the other three horses also lay down. "That's it," he declared. They won't work for the rest of the day now." He blew out a big sigh and added: "It's time for lunch anyway. We'll swap in new horses afterwards."

Ranma was scanning the area from where he stood by his downed horse. "What's up that hill?" he asked Haruo.

"Widow's Tree," Haruo answered. "It's said that's where the ghosts live, if you can believe that. One is said to be the ghost of a widow who hanged herself because she missed her husband." Ranma just nodded his head. Haruo paused at Ranma's casual acceptance of the story. After a few moments he said: "Why don't you four go get cleaned up before lunch? We'll try again around 3PM and hit an easy trail."

"All right," Tofu agreed. As they left Haruo, Tofu stated: "You took that explanation without a word. Was the wind supernatural?"

As Kasumi and Akane joined them, Ranma replied: "Hell yeah. I'm not sure I believe ghosts made that wind, but it was way too cold for mid-spring. It came right from that tree." Ranma paused and then asked: "You didn't mess with the horses, did you?" At Tofu's head shake, Ranma replied: "Well something did. Haruo was really surprised by Lady's behavior."

"So what do we do?" Akane asked.

Ranma shrugged "Something tried to get rid of us. We can leave or force it show itself," he answered.

"Oh my," Kasumi said. "I assume we're staying then."

Tofu gave a small smile. "It's not like the Lord and Lady of Chaos will have it any other way," he affirmed.

"No comment," Akane stated.

They went up to their rooms. Ranma and Tofu were in one room. Akane and Kasumi were in an adjoining room. "You're being silly," Akane told her sister as they were changing. "You and Tofu are married. Ranma and I are engaged. You should be sleeping with your husband."

"Appearances are important Akane," Kasumi told her primly.

Akane rolled her eyes. "No one knows us here," she said. "Who's to say that Ranma and I aren't married?"

"Me," Kasumi answered firmly. "Home is one thing, away is another. Besides, this is a training trip – we don't have time for anything else." Akane fixed her sister with a very direct look that Kasumi ignored.

Next door, Ranma hid his smirk as Tofu raised his eyebrows at Akane's arguments. "This from the girl who use to scream 'Pervert' constantly?" Tofu quizzed quietly.

"Hey, we all grow up – even me," Ranma laughed just as quietly. Then he raised his own eyebrow: "She does have a point though."

"I'm not the roadblock," Tofu protested. "I'll work on her." Then he turned serious. "What do we do about your antagonist?"

"See if we can provoke him/her further," Ranma responded. "We're going to train after lunch, right?" At Tofu's nod, Ranma added: "So let's do it in sight of that tree."

"You're not worried about Akane's safety?" Tofu pressed.

"Naw," Ranma dismissed. "Whatever's out there is after me. My horses were the only one's acting up, and that wind took out Lady first. I think it took out the others just to look like it was not focusing on me."

* * *

After lunch, the four changed into gis and set up next to the corral, still in view of the tree. "Absolutely no magic," Ranma cautioned. "Visible or otherwise. Let's not give away more than we have to. We'll start with katas and drills for the first half-an-hour. We'll save the serious sparring for the last half-an-hour." The other three nodded and they began.

Toward the end of the drills, Tofu commented to Ranma during a water break: "Something's watching us. I can't pin-it-down from where, but it can't stop me from knowing I'm being watched."

"O.K., so let's give it something to watch," Ranma said. He called Kasumi and Akane over. "One-on-one sparring," he ordered. "Five minute rounds and then we switch."

Soon, the four Martial Artists were all aware of watchers – especially the human kind. Even without using arcane abilities, the Nerima folks seemed magical in their movements and speed. Their fighting was strictly sparring, but the crowd watched with wide eyes and disbelief on their faces as the bruises piled up and the throws were hard and fast. Finally, four watches sounded the end of the last match and all four individuals bowed to each other.

"All right," Tofu called out. "We are meeting Haruo at 3PM. We've got to get cleaned up. Let's go…" The dozen or so people were silent as they left. They simply nodded to the Martial Artists who nodded back.

* * *

Haruo was waiting for them at the trail head outside the horse ranch. He looked speculatively at the four and asked: "Where are you folks from?"

"Nerima," Tofu answered.

"Is that city? You folk are a little bit hardier than we're use to seeing…" At Tofu's questioning look, Haruo added "We usually don't see people beating each other up like that during their free time."

"This is a training trip," Ranma said offhandedly.

"Nerima is bit of a rough area," Akane said diplomatically. "But we're martial artists. Ranma and I compete regularly. Tofu and Kasumi are Senseis."

Haruo pointed at Ranma. "Which is why he was calling the shots this afternoon?" Haruo pressed.

"Ranma and Akane are also instructors," Kasumi explained. "They own a dojo together in Nerima," she added, glossing over the fact that she was also an owner. Akane and Ranma managed to keep a straight face.

"Awful young, aren't you two?" Haruo pressed as other people started to join them for the ride.

Ranma ignored the brashness of the question – he wasn't one to talk after all. Instead, he replied with a shrug: "We're two of several owners."

Haruo seemed to accept that answer and then decided he was pushing the limits of good behavior. Instead he turned to face a nearby stable and began to bark out orders to bring out the horses. Meanwhile, the other guests of the ranch began to approach the quartet. They asked questions similar to Haruo, but were much more polite, relying on friendly small talk to try and elicit answers.

A short time later, Haruo returned with five other ranch hands and a string of horses. He started to assign people to animals when there was a commotion at the rear of the string; an old mare pushed her way forward, somehow slipping her halter. "Whoa! Kazue, what are you doing?" Haruo called out. The horse ignored him and walked through the parting crowd to stand in front of Ranma. With a quick gesture of her head, she seemed to gently bonk the surprised young man on his head.

Haruo looked at the pig-tailed martial artist and commented: "You are a strange one, boy. First, I can't get a horse to stay under you. Now, the old queen of the stable picks you." Haruo looked at one of his men and said: "Kenichi! Find her saddle." Ranma looked startled to see there was no saddle on the horse. So did Tofu, Kasumi, and Akane. Kenichi nodded and left.

In short order, Kazue was saddled and bridled. "Careful with her, lad," Haruo told Ranma. "She's the owner's pride and joy."

"Yes, sir," Ranma answered. The horse seemed to cuff Ranma with her head and motion him toward the saddle. He climbed up (more like flowed) and waited. Meanwhile, Haruo assigned horses to everyone else.

Tofu urged his horse up next to Ranma and Kazue. "What's going on?" Ranma asked.

"I don't know," Tofu answered in a puzzled voice. "Her mind is closed to me. She's either going to toss you off a cliff or be an obedient steed."

"Thanks," Ranma drawled.

Haruo saddled up and led the guests down the trail. Haruo's people rode alongside of the guests, keeping watch over the inexperienced riders in particular. Kazue followed Kasumi's horse without difficulty. "You're doing really well," Akane told Ranma from behind him.

"Except I'm not driving," Ranma said. "She's ignoring any signals I give her."

"What?"

"Oh my," came from in front of Ranma. Tofu just held his head momentarily.

"If I tug on the reins, she ignores me," Ranma clarified. "Watch." He pulled firmly on the reins to turn the horse, but Kazue just shook her head and snorted. Then she seemed to give a little hop that bounced Ranma in the saddle. "I ain't driving," he repeated.

"I think you just got disciplined," Akane noted with a grin while trying not to laugh.

"Great," Ranma groused. "She thinks I'm a colt." The horse nodded her head.

"Well, it's a start I suppose," Tofu noted. "At least she's unlikely to throw you off a cliff now." He pondered the situation for a moment. "She's obviously intelligent. Talk to her."

"Say what?"

"Introduce yourself, introduce us, tell her what you hope to learn. She's your sensei. Figure out what she has to teach," the doctor insisted.

Ranma shrugged and said: "Whatever. It's not like I've got anything else to do." He leaned forward and placed a hand in front of the saddle on the mare's back. "Hello Kazue. My name's Ranma. It means 'wild horse.'" Kazue snorted gently at that. "No, it's true – my Mom gave me that name. She teases me that she named me that because I was in a hurry to be born."

"I didn't know that," Kasumi chimed in.

"She told me a couple of times," Akane said. "I think she's trying to convince me that childbirth will be easy."

Ranma continued: "I'm here with my fiancé, Akane, who's behind us." The horse seemed to hesitate for a second, but let the moment go. "We're going to be married next spring after we turn twenty. The guy two horses in front of us is my brother, Tofu. He's a doctor and one of my teachers. His wife, Kasumi is just in front of us. She's also Akane's sister."

The horse glanced behind at Akane. "It's a long story," Akane answered the look.

"And you wouldn't believe us either," Ranma added. The horse seemed to shrug. "Anyway, we're here because Tofu thought I need to 'broaden my horizons' and learn to ride." Kazue seemed to consider that. "It's a little tough though if you won't let me practice," Ranma hinted. Kazue sighed and pulled off to the side of the trail. Then she stopped. Ranma squeezed gently with his legs and she started forward appropriately. "Thank you," he said simply. "If you don't like something, just shake your head and I'll figure it out." Kazue twitched her ears.

Ranma was about to ask Tofu a question, but the doctor shook his head and made a discrete gesture at Kazue. Ranma took the hint and began talking to Kazue again. He spent ample time praising Kazue and telling her about himself and his companions. He also made a point of telling Kazue what he wanted to do and working through the signals for her to understand. The shape-shifter quickly learned that Kazue preferred 'commands' to be issued by his legs and posture. The less he used the reins, the better she responded. By the end of the ride, he was feeling pretty comfortable in the saddle. "At least on a cooperative horse," he thought to himself.

As they were approaching the ranch proper again, Haruo dropped back to check on Ranma. "How are you getting along with your teacher?" the ranch hand asked.

Ranma decided more praise couldn't hurt. "She's brilliant," he said honestly enough. He considered his next words carefully. "Does she always handle new riders like this?"

Haruo looked a little perplexed. "Actually, she's usually only ridden by Mr. Izuzi, the owner, these days. She's very old as far as horses go – about 42 or so, so we don't push her."

"She doesn't look that old," Tofu put in.

"No, she doesn't," Haruo agreed. "Her back and teeth are in good shape somehow. If it wasn't for the grey on her face, you wouldn't know. I've seen horses in their teens that look in worse shape."

"Interesting…" Tofu said thoughtfully.

At the trail head, people began getting off their horses, but Kazue shook her head when Ranma started to shift his weight. "What's up?" he asked settling back into the saddle.

"That I can tell you," Haruo laughed. "She put up with you, now you have to put up with her."

"Say what?"

"She wants you to give her a brush down," Haruo clarified. Kazue nodded her head.

Ranma shrugged. "Fair enough."

"I can show him what to do," Tofu offered.

* * *

Next up: Ghost Hunting


	2. Ghostbusting

Chapter 2: Ghostbusting

Afterward, Ranma and Tofu left the barn. "Is Kazue an Elder Animal?" Ranma asked the disguised Kitsune.

"I'm not sure," Tofu answered. "Not if Haruo has her age right, but he could be wrong. Normally, I can't see an Elder Animal as a servant. But she certainly has potential to become one if she's not. She's way smarter than other horses. She understands Japanese clearly and can communicate back. She's also aging very slowly. I'd be very surprised if she wasn't capable of some magic. At the very least, she's probably Shielding her mind, because I pick up nothing – no stray thoughts at all."

"Hmmm…" Ranma started. "I wonder if…"

That was as far as he got. As the two men hit the middle of the yard, a fierce wind arose. It seemed to be blowing down the hill from the tree on top. The wind was freezing, as if it was trying to drain the heat from their bodies. But Tofu was protected by his Fire Magic and Ranma was invulnerable to the cold. Tofu shouted a caution to Ranma above the wind: "Remember: nothing visible!"

Ranma called back: "Got it!" Without making a gesture, he countered with a windstorm of his own, making sure *not* to allow a whirlwind to form. Immediately, Ranma knew the wind was not natural in any way, shape, or form. It was definitely being driven by a single emotion: extreme anger. Once the Martial Artist realized that, he dropped his windstorm and instead absorbed the energy his opponent threw at him blindly. Suddenly, the wind vanished and everything fell quiet.

"Well, that was interesting," Tofu said understatedly. "Nice play by the way."

"I just picked up a lot of energy," Ranma told him. "Haruo mentioned ghosts. Wanna go ghostbusting tonight?" Tofu's answering grin was vicious.

* * *

Later that night, the two couples left the guest house, walked across the yard, and climbed the split rail fence separating the tree and its field from the ranch yard. The moon was past its first quarter phase, so there was a fair bit of light to walk by. "Oh my, I hope were not trespassing," Kasumi fretted.

"No, I checked," Tofu answered. "The field belongs to the ranch. Guests can hike here, but most don't."

"Why not?" Akane asked.

"Because the ranch tells everyone the field is haunted. That wind that springs from nowhere is an excellent persuader," Tofu told her.

"There are no horses here either," Ranma noted.

"That's because the ranch hands truly believe it's haunted, so they don't risk the horses," Tofu explained.

"I don't Feel or See anything though," Kasumi commented.

"I don't either," Tofu agreed. "Maybe when we get to the tree."

They climbed the hill in silence until they reached the tree. Kasumi placed a hand on the bark and said: "If this is haunted, it's the quietest ghost I've met."

"Yeah," Akane agreed. "No chills, no fright. Weird."

Ranma walked around the tree and moved around the top of the hill. "But that wind came from here. Something was angry…" he started.

"Ranma!" Tofu called out in warning, but Ranma was already blocking the high incoming blow. His assailant could not be seen in the moonlight, but Ranma grunted under the strike.

"Everyone look away," Akane ordered. "Nova Burst!" she cried out. A flash lit up the night, but nothing was revealed.

"It retreated," Ranma said.

"What was it?" Tofu demanded.

"I don't know. It felt like someone swung a club at me. Whoever it was is strong," Ranma answered. "They can also move fast."

Suddenly, Tofu dove out of the way. Something seemed to rush through the space he had been standing in. No one could see the thing clearly, but their Martial Artist senses told them something was there. It flew by Ranma and launched a lateral blow against the pig-tailed man. Ranma blocked again, but the force of the blow lifted him up and tossed him back ten meters. He landed on his feet and ran back at the thing, but it was already retreating. However, not before Akane and Kasumi managed to launch Chi blasts and score hits. A scream tore across the night and then everything was silent.

"What the hell is it?" Ranma demanded harshly.

"It's Cloaking heavily, but it's physical," Tofu stated.

"And it can be hurt," Akane concluded.

"Everyone, put your back to the tree and fan out," Ranma ordered. They did so and scanned all around. However, as the minutes ticked by silently, it became obvious that their attacker was gone.

Tofu looked at the ground. "It left no tracks in soft soil," he observed.

"It could attack physically," Kasumi added.

"And blur its form in a Cloak even when attacking," Akane noted.

"And it's not use to pain," Ranma finished.

"All right, so what does that leave us?" Tofu prompted.

"Mage – Wind Mage," Ranma concluded. "A really good one, but he – or she – is the size of the Dojo Destroyer."

"Oh my. That would make sense," Kasumi said. "He sees Ranma as an intruder or a challenger."

Ranma looked thoughtful for a moment and said softly: "The Mage on the Hill."

"Sorry?" Tofu prompted.

"It's something my 'Inner self' told me last Christmas. He said that there was a Wind mage closer than your friend in Hokkaido. He said the Mage was aware of me and wanted a fight," Ranma explained.

Tofu let out a sigh. "Will you tell me things like that?" he said exasperatedly. "Please?" Then the doctor straightened up. "Well, I said we were going on a training trip. Looks like I was more right that I knew…"

* * *

That night, Ranma meditated…

He appeared in his Spirit Center – the Plaza of the Three Temples. After a quick check of the Yang and Yin temples, he walked over to the Feline Temple. He stopped briefly to check the statue of Akane in her gi that sat on a pedestal in the middle of a fountain. Even though the gi was correctly tied, the cut of the top showed a bit more than it should – something Akane arranged when she was here once. The gardens in the plaza where in full (perpetual) bloom and the skies were partly cloudly, reflecting Ranma's overall contented state, but also showing his concern about the Mage on the Hill.

As he entered the temple, he called out: "Rera?" He also stopped to pet the three cats that ran to him. Fortunately, the spirit cats didn't trigger the Cat Fist because Ranma was now comfortable with this part of himself.

"Upstairs!" the Wind Spirit yelled back.

Ranma walked up the stairs to find Rera staring at a large translucent floating globe of the Earth. About five dozen cats watched Rera and the image. The planet was overlaid with Dragon lines showing the power flows through the atmosphere. Ranma noted a black splotch over the Bayankala Mountains in China. "It's larger," he observed.

Rera nodded. He appeared to be ten year old boy wearing a sky blue gi. He had dark hair and blue eyes, just like the young man who sheltered him. With a gesture, Rera conjured two cups of tea and handed one to Ranma. "We have to get rid of Henna by the Solstice – most likely on the Solstice. Our allies will be at their strongest then. If we don't succeed, it's all over and the planet disasters start; then World War."

"Caused by the shortages," Ranma finished. "We'll be ready," he stated.

"Speaking of which…" Rera prompted.

"The Mage on the Hill?" Ranma quizzed after he took a sip of tea.

"This area is his place of power," Rera agreed. "I don't know him though; I just know the echoes he's causing. Even so, I'm not suppose to play favorites," he added with a smirk.

Ranma snorted and responded with "Yeah, yeah…" The two spirit brothers were comfortable with their relationship. "What can you tell me?"

"Don't get stuck in your thinking," Rera warned seriously. "Hopefully, things won't be what they seem. He's definitely arrogant, prideful, and stubborn, but he may not necessarily be evil. Unlike some of your past battles, these battles between Mages are usually not to the death; but he might try to make you wish you were dead though. This is about Willpower. That's all I can tell you right now. I won't know more until after we meet him." Ranma just nodded his head.

Rera made a gesture and the translucent globe vanished. "All right, enough saving the world for now; I want a break," he said as he grabbed Ranma's hand and led the pigtailed man toward the stairs. "Come teach me the Libra kata. I need some ideas for handling Apay without pulling rank. She's winning too many of our matches otherwise…" Ranma suppressed a laugh.

* * *

The next morning Kasumi and Akane waited for the men downstairs in the dining room. "What is taking them so long?" Kasumi wondered out loud.

"Judging from the fighting I heard, Tofu's having trouble getting Ranma to move," Akane said off-handedly.

"But, Ranma's been doing so well since the beginning of the year…" Kasumi started and then cut off at Akane's knowing look. "Oh my."

"Tofu just doesn't provide the proper motivation like I can," Akane continued whimsically. "Things would go a lot faster if we switched to our normal sleeping arrangements. You belong with your husband."

"I need more sausage," Kasumi said quickly as she got up.

"Yes, you probably do," Akane murmured just loud enough for Kasumi to hear.

"Nabiki's a bad influence on you," retorted the elder sister.

While Kasumi was gone, the men came to the table. "Any luck?" Tofu asked.

"I managed to rattle her a little, but that was it," Akane said. "This morning's fight was inspired though."

"What fight?" Ranma asked.

"Didn't you two have a fight this morning?" she pressed.

"We sparred out in the field behind the guest quarters," Ranma said. "That was it."

"She's talking about the tape recorder I set up to go off at eight AM," Tofu explained. "I had it play one of our classic arguments." Ranma put his hands to his mouth to stifle his laughter. Akane just tightened her lips – a lot. "I have a few other surprises that may make her think twice," Tofu added.

* * *

After breakfast, the four of them were working with Haruo. Ranma was riding a horse named Ken, a large and strong horse. The animal was also very obedient, although Haruo claimed that was because the horse was very dumb. In truth, Ranma found that the horse responded best to the reins – it seemed Ken couldn't figure out Kazue's leg and posture commands. When Ranma mentioned that to Haruo, the ranch hand laughed. "That's Ken for you," Haruo said. "He's a bit oblivious to the finer details of life."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Akane chimed in. Ranma settled for fixing her with a sour look.

"But he's a good horse anyway. Does exactly what you tell him," Haruo continued.

"Ah…there they differ," Akane added. Ranma blew a raspberry at his bride-to-be.

Haruo turned to Kasumi. "I thought you said they weren't married?" he quizzed.

"They're not. They're engaged," Kasumi stated firmly.

"Could have fooled me," Haruo shot back with a laugh. Akane and Ranma just grinned. Haruo turned back to Ranma and said: "You have to watch the trail for Ken. He won't do it himself."

"Got it," Ranma acknowledged.

They worked with the horses for an hour or so and Haruo said: "Good. Let's get out of the ring and go for a ride."

They left the corral and hit another wilderness trail. After a bit, Akane called out: "Hey, Haruo? Where are we exactly?"

Haruo looked back at Akane with confusion: "We're about a kilometer out. Why?"

"No, I mean, whose land are we on? The ranch can't own all this land – it would cost a fortune," she clarified.

Haruo smiled. "You've got a good head on your shoulders. We're on government land. The ranch is next to national park that allows riders. It's one of the reasons we get a lot of business."

"That works," Tofu noted.

The doctor was about to say more when Haruo's radio squawked to life: "Haruo! Pick up, man!"

The ranch hand unhooked his radio from its holder on his belt. "Haruo here!"

"He's back!" the radio crackled.

"Damn it!" Haruo swore. "I was hoping he was gone for good! I'm on my way!"

"Trouble?" Tofu prompted.

"Yeah, ranch business," Haruo told them. The rancher thought for a minute and said: "All right, you lot are doing well. Why don't you keep going?" He handed Tofu his radio. "Just follow the blue markers; they loop back to the ranch in an hour or so. Call if you get lost. There's also a GPS in there with the Home coordinates."

"I know how to use one," Tofu reassured him.

"All right. Enjoy your ride." With that, Haruo turned his horse and rode back down the trail.

"Oh my. I wonder what's up?" Kasumi asked.

Tofu shrugged. "Haruo wanted to get back quickly without us slowing him down."

"Should we go back and help?"

"Help with what? For all we know it's a banker or a relative," Tofu responded. "I'm afraid it's none of our business…yet."

"So you don't believe that," Ranma pushed.

"I believe we should continue our ride. There's something over that way we need to see," Tofu said with a gesture to the north, off the trail.

"What's there?" Akane prompted.

"A blank spot. I can't See into it," the doctor answered.

"A Mage Ward?" Ranma asked, his eyes glittering.

"Just something that needs a look," Tofu said noncommittally.

* * *

They made their way over to the ruin in the forest cautiously. It was an old large two floor farmhouse that the forest had reclaimed. There was moss on the walls and a few holes in the roof. There was also a spooky feeling about the place – a feeling that said "Go away!"

"It's not right," Ranma said after studying the place.

"What's not right?" Tofu asked studying his student. His eyes almost glittered.

"The inside is pitch black despite the holes and the windows; and the walls are way to solid for all that moss. It's either a shell or an illusion," Ranma answered.

"Full points," Tofu smiled grimly. "It's a shell hiding a smaller house inside. Let's take a closer look."

"Doesn't look as if they want visitors," Kasumi warned.

"He'll see me," Ranma said confidently.

"Famous last words," Akane commented in a hushed voice.

They tied their horses to trees a way back from the house and approached the house carefully, looking for any signs of Wards or traps. As they got to the front door, Ranma was about to knock when he stopped. "This is it," he told them. "I can feel the Ward. If I break it, there will be a blast of cold and an energy drain. We can't get in."

"Oh well," Tofu shrugged. "It's not polite to go in uninvited. Now we know where he lives. It's not much, but it confirms a Mage in the area."

"Surely, there has to be a way to get his attention," Kasumi stated.

"Love, he's a hermit. He doesn't want to give anyone his attention," Tofu told her.

"He started this," Ranma said. "Back up." They did so.

"Ranma…" Tofu began. Ranma never listened though. Instead, the young mage fired a Chi blast at the front door. The Ward responded explosively, blowing dirt and leaves all over them. "And that proved what?" Tofu asked.

"I knocked at the front door," Ranma shrugged. "He'll either answer or attack."

They waited five minutes. "Or he's not home," Akane stated.

"Looks that way. I doubt he'd pass on Ranma's challenge," Tofu observed. Ranma blew out his frustration.

"Let's go back a get cleaned up," Kasumi requested as she brushed dirt off of herself. Ranma grabbed a stick and began to dig at the ground. "What are you doing, Ranma?" she asked.

"Letting him know I was here," Ranma answered.

Tofu stopped him. "He'll know. The Ward will tell him. Let's go."

* * *

They rode back to the ranch and witnessed a strange sight – all the ranch hands were lined up at the bottom of the hill behind the fence shouting at the top of their lungs. In among them was Kazue, neighing and screaming while looking up the hill. On top of the hill, just under the tree, was a tall dark grey stallion with a white star on his forehead. He seemed to be shouting back at the crowd.

"What the hell?" Ranma wondered.

"Now we know who Haruo meant by 'He'," Tofu said. "Somehow, there's a wild stallion in the area. Breeding season is soon, too. He probably wants at the mares."

"Great, a horse Kuno," Akane sighed.

Two ranch hands ran over to them. "We need to put the mares in the barn," one of them told the quartet. They quickly grabbed Kasumi's horse as she had the only mare in the group.

"She wants the stallion," Tofu noted as the first man led the resisting horse away.

"The mares are all enamored with the stallion," the second man said.

"Kazue's not though," Kasumi pointed out.

"The grand lady has never been interested in him her entire life," the ranch hand agreed before heading back to the crowd.

"Now what?" Ranma asked Tofu.

"Now we lead our horses to the barn and take care of them," Tofu told them as he slid off his horse.

Ranma and Akane followed his actions and led the horses across the yard toward the barn. Halfway across the yard, they noticed that the stallion started to scream even louder and began frothing at the mouth. Ranma stopped to turn and look at the animal on the hill. "Is it rabid?" he wondered aloud.

"Just extremely angry," Tofu said. Ken shifted in Ranma's grip and nudged the young man. "Come on," Tofu continued. "Let's get the horses out of here."

* * *

Out-of-sight of the spectacle out front, Ranma, Akane, and Tofu rubbed down their horses with Kasumi helping Tofu. "Why didn't these three react to the stallion?" Ranma quizzed.

"Because they are geldings, Ranma," Tofu explained.

"Say what?"

"They've been castrated."

Ranma looked horrified. Then he laid a hand on the horse's neck, "Damn!" Ranma exclaimed. Fortunately the horse only nuzzled him.

Akane was also troubled. "I forgot they did that to most of the males. You poor thing!" she said as she hugged her horse.

"Oh my," Kasumi replied to the teenagers' responses. She raised her hand to hide her smile.

"Horse breeding is expensive and tightly controlled," Tofu continued. "Gelding also creates a calmer, more stable, and more tractable animal.

"Of course he's calmer," Ranma retorted. "He's afraid the legs are next if he acts up again."

"That may be true, too," Tofu admitted.

Once they were done, the quartet went back to the main yard where they found things had returned to normal. The grey stallion was nowhere in sight. "I guess he gave up," Tofu said.

Something was bothering Ranma though. "I'll be back in a minute," he said. He hopped the split rail fence and then started to walk up the hill. When he got to the tree, he stopped and looked around, waiting. When the blow came, no made no effort to block it. There was a rush of something in the air, a vague shape racing toward him, an impact to his side, and he was launched back down the hill. The pig-tailed man staggered up and managed to walk down the hill with some decorum. Before anyone could ask a question, he told them: "Not here. Back to the room." They all quickly followed him.

In his room, Ranma carefully lifted his shirt and studied the bruise pattern. Everyone else was silent. There was no mistaking the two hoof prints on his side.

* * *

Next up : Challenge


	3. Challenge

Chapter 3: Challenge

Ranma studied the bruises in the mirror as Tofu said: "Let's take this from the top. You saw nothing but a blur in the air as it struck you?" The pig-tailed Martial Artist nodded as he continued to stare at the bruises. "And you didn't block on purpose?" Another nod. "Why?"

"Because I needed proof," Ranma said. "All I had was a guess. The Mage on the Hill attacked me last night. It didn't feel like a fist, so I said it felt like a club. It could have been a bare hoof though." He pointed at the bruises and added: "Like these." He continued on: "Then, we find the Mage's home, but he's not there. But at the same time, the grey stallion shows up here. The stallion's been gone for a while, but all of a sudden he's back. Then, there's Kazue. She's got the makings of an Elder Animal, but they don't grow on trees – one of the parents is usually an Elder Animal too, which means there's another one around. Finally, there's you."

"Me?" Tofu said surprised.

"Technically, you're an Elder Animal – at least partly. And you're an Elemental Mage."

"But that's through my father's side," Tofu reminded him.

"Is there really a law saying an Elder Animal cannot be an Elemental Mage?" Ranma pushed.

"No, there isn't," Tofu said. "I know a number of Kitsunes who are mages."

"So, the stallion threw a fit when we walked across the yard, but he doesn't care about geldings, so it had to be us. I've been attacked three times now by an invisible horse apparently. The mares refused to have anything to do with me yesterday, but they love the stallion. Kazue worked with me though. She's not interested in the stallion…" Ranma paused and then finished, "Because she's his daughter – and a wise daughter at that."

Akane began applying ointment to his bruises. Ranma grunted. "You have a broken rib," she told him. "You're going to have to burn the energy and heal it."

"I don't want to do that," he disagreed. "I want a full charge to take on the horse mage. Just wrap it."

"Wrong, little brother," Tofu said firmly. "There's no hurry. The battle can wait until tomorrow. You heal up first; then take the rest of the day to build up a full charge. Tonight you trance sleep and tomorrow, first thing, you issue a formal challenge. After that, it's anyone's guess."

"I can Shield Ranma tonight," Akane volunteered. "I've done it before."

"Akane, you would have to stay with Ranma tonight…" Kasumi started and then trailed off at the exasperated expressions on three faces.

"Face it, Love," Tofu told his wife. "Akane's the best choice for this."

"It's not like we're going to be able to do anything," Ranma pushed back. "I have to prep."

"Sorry, big sister. Battle takes precedence," Akane rebutted. Kasumi gave in with a sigh, so Akane added: "You're sleeping with your husband tonight; horrors of horrors." Kasumi almost smiled at the jab.

* * *

After lunch, the quartet sparred again in the field next to the ranch's main yard. Within a short amount of time, they attracted an audience of fellow guests who watched the training session with silent amazement. About half way through, Tofu announced quietly to the three Martial Artists: "Our key audience member has arrived. Watch yourselves." Sure enough, the grey horse was watching them from the shadow of the tree on the hill.

After they finished, Ranma motioned to Akane and the couple wandered over to the split rail fence at the bottom of the hill. They seemed to be talking casually about their wedding next year, but Ranma was weaving a ball of air in his hands. When it had the right spin, Ranma launched it at his rival. The ball of air puffed into the grey horse's nostrils and caused the beast to sneeze fiercely. After the horse shook itself, it glared at Ranma. The young man promptly launched another ball at the horse, with the same response. A whisper sounded in the air around them: "Insolent foal!"

"Coward," Ranma taunted back through the air. "I know you now."

"You know nothing, shattered one!" the whisper hissed.

"I know you struck without declaring yourself, craven worm," Ranma said haughtily. That looked like it made the stallion pause. "And to one you called 'foal'. So, now we know you have no courage and no honor." The horse laid his ears back in anger. Ranma straightened up. "You drew first blood without proper challenge. I demand satisfaction. Either meet me for a duel tomorrow, or I'll announce your presence to every mage in Japan. You'll no longer be able to hide in your house-within-a-house. You'll have to go somewhere else."

"No one will believe you!" the horse snorted.

"You don't know that I'm a Kitsune by adoption," Ranma told him. The horse looked at him in disbelief. "My circle is very familiar with the concept of Elder Animals."

The horse considered Ranma. The whisper said: "When I beat you, you'll keep silent?"

"When I win, I'll keep silent," Ranma shot back.

The whispers became a quiet laugh now. "You are a foolish mortal. I thought for sure I'd have to push you further to get you to accept a challenge."

"Why challenge me at all then?" Ranma pressed.

"Because the Air Elementals whisper your name now, Ranma of Nerima," the voice said softly. Ranma's and Akane's eyes became wide now. "Just like they use to do for me. I will not be eclipsed by anyone – especially not a human. Bring all your courage and power, Ranma, for tomorrow we fight until one cries 'Enough'. Two kilometers to the west. Follow the path past my house when you are ready. I'll start waiting at sunrise. You have until midday to show or admit defeat."

The horse got up now and turned to walk away, but, before it crested the hill, the horse looked back at the couple and the voice whispered all around them: "I am Cseri."

* * *

Tofu and Kasumi joined the silent couple. "What's wrong?" Tofu asked them.

"I put my foot in it again," Ranma said. "He really has been waiting for me."

"He knew Ranma's name," Akane added.

"Was there any way you weren't going to accept his challenge," Kasumi asked.

"Well…no," Ranma admitted.

"So, don't worry about it," she said. "The real question is how ready is he? And what are you likely to face tomorrow?"

Ranma looked up at the sky. "Anything goes," he said with a small smile.

"Come on. Let's get cleaned up," Tofu suggested. "We can talk about it afterwards."

Once they had changed, they debated what to do next. "We could take a hike," Kasumi suggested.

"Or we could join everyone on the afternoon ride," Ranma countered.

As his companions looked at him like he had grown two heads, Ranma pointed at the old mare walking across the yard toward them. Kazue wore no saddle, but there was something determined about her gait. She came over to Ranma and bonked him on the head as she had yesterday. The thought "Idiot colt" sounded in Ranma's mind.

"I've been insulted again," Ranma stated. "She's her father's daughter." He got cuffed again. "Let's go."

* * *

Ranma was silent on the ride. He seemed to be very distracted. "Are you all right?" Tofu asked him. Ranma just raised a finger to his lips and nodded.

"What's going on?" Akane asked in a hush voice.

"Kazue is more or less talking to Ranma by projecting her thoughts directly into his mind," Tofu answered quietly. "I've seen this before from Elder Animals that haven't master Japanese. It's how I talk to animals when I need to in my Kitsune form. We wait."

Toward the end of the ride, Ranma seemed to snap out of it. Now he looked very thoughtful. "She had a lot to say," Akane stated to prompt him.

Ranma nodded. "I'll tell you after we get back to our rooms," he replied.

After a thorough brush down and topping up Kazue's feedbag and water, the quartet walked back to the guest quarters. "O.K., give," Tofu commanded.

"Basically, she warned me that Cseri is not human," Ranma answered.

"We knew that," Akane said.

"Only sort of," Ranma told her. "Kitsunes aren't human either, but the ones that we hang out with have learned to think like humans. Cseri can take human form, but he's never learned to think like us."

"Not making sense yet," Tofu said as they climbed the stairs.

"Here's an example," Ranma explained. "I used the word 'honor' with Cseri. He has no concept of honor – that's a human term. As far as he was concerned, 'honor' is just gibberish. It means nothing to him. He's a horse. Kazue told me horses are 'prey' species. Humans are either 'herd' or 'predator'. There's no in between. I'm not herd."

"So you're a predator?" Kasumi asked.

"Yes," Ranma told her. "I'm a predator – at least to Cseri."

"I see where this is going," Tofu said.

Ranma nodded. "Anything goes," he said.

"Sorry?" Akane asked.

"If a predator closes in on prey, how does the prey react?" Ranma prompted.

"It runs. If it can't run, it fights," she answered.

"How does it fight?"

"Oh my," Kasumi and Akane said together.

"Anything goes," Tofu repeated as he opened the door to his room. They all entered and sat down.

"This isn't a simple magic duel. There are no rules. Tomorrow's a trap," Ranma said. "I'm walking into prepared territory. Cseri had no qualms about ambushing me on the hill, and he'll have no qualms tomorrow. If the easiest way to victory is to never throw a spell but to trample me into the ground, then he'll trample me into the ground. And he won't stop until I give in – then I'm no longer a predator."

"And he won't surrender either," Tofu added. "For prey, 'surrender' equals 'death'."

"Right," Ranma agreed. "It has to be a knockout blow."

"Why fight you at all?" Kasumi asked.

"Pride," Ranma answered. "Cseri has to be top dog – or rather 'horse'. Before, the Air elementals were deferential to him. Now, it's me – or rather my 'Inner self'. But I can't tell him about my 'Inner self', so it's all on me."

"So, what's the plan?" Tofu asked.

"There are cats in the barn," Akane suggested.

"And I have plans for them, but I can't use the Cat Fist against Cseri. There's that whole prey/predator thing I don't want to invoke. The Cat Fist is a last resort if Cseri actually tries to kill me. Cseri's not human; Cat won't hold back."

"Got it," Akane acknowledged. "So, what do you want to do with the cats?"

"I'll show you after dinner."

* * *

Akane walked into the barn with the cat treat held in her hand. She skipped over the mature cats; she was looking for something easier to handle. Sitting on hay in an empty stall was a half-grown tabby. "You'll do," she thought. Akane knelt down and made a few appropriate cat noises at the tabby. Once she had its attention, she held out the treat and the cat came over. It took the treat and began purring and curling into her. She made comforting sounds and slowly picked the cat up. Then she walked out of the barn to where her family was waiting about 100 meters away.

Ranma held out his arms. In his hands were some more cat treats. He fed the cat first, then gently took it from Akane and petted it. He closed his eyes momentarily, and when he opened them again, they were blue cat eyes. "Oh my," Kasumi said softly. Cat Ranma continued to gently pet the cat and feed it treats.

"What's the plan?" Tofu asked.

"Cat Ranma heal better," Cat hissed. His teeth, especially his canines, were more pronounced. "Fix rib better. Cat Ranma gather Power better away from Nexus. Cat see better at night. Go find traps."

"Makes sense," the doctor agreed.

Cat handed the tabby back to Akane. "Take care," Cat said. Then he ran off into the woods.

* * *

That night, Akane waited up for Ranma. Just shy of 11PM, Ranma appeared at the window to the room. His eyes were still cat eyes. "Honestly," she thought. "Why didn't he come up the stairs?" She opened up the window and Ranma slid in gracefully. "Any luck?" she asked. Ranma nodded and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were his normal blue eyes. "You're getting more and more control over the Cat Fist," she noted.

"'Control' is not the right word," Ranma answered. "More like I'm getting more and more comfortable with it – or rather that part of myself. Anyway, I found Cseri's battlefield."

"Full of pitfalls?" she prompted.

"Oh yeah," Ranma grinned. "Pitfalls, rope traps, loose footings – you name it. Several trees have widow-makers in them, just waiting for the right wind. He's also got a couple of captive elementals that he's bound stashed in the battlefield. The place is ambush central."

"Great…" Akane half-moaned.

"Oh, it gets better. He's got Circles hidden under leaf piles – Protection Circles that put yours to shame."

"Hmph!"

"Oh stop that," Ranma half scolded her. "He's got a couple hundred years on us at least. In a straight magic battle, he'd be hard to beat."

"So what are you going to do?" she asked him.

"It's not a straight magic battle – it's an Anything Goes battle. He cheats, I cheat better. I'll make him wish there were rules!" Ranma said exuberantly.

"Ranma!" Akane laughed at his excitement. He grabbed her up and gave her a jubilant kiss. "You haven't won yet!"

"I know that," he said waving off the comment. "I'm excited about something else."

"What's that?"

"Our elder siblings are downstairs waiting for me in the sitting room. They don't know I'm back yet," Ranma told her.

"Oh come on! They are going to know as soon as one of them does a mental check," she laughed again.

"So we Shield. After all we're suppose to be sleeping together tonight," Ranma reminded her with a grin. "Let's shove Kasumi stuff next door and barricade the door. Kasumi won't dare raise a racket for fear of attracting attention." Akane paused for a moment and then a wicked grin spread across her face.

* * *

"You owe me big time," Tofu said to Ranma the next morning with a dope slap as soon as Akane and Kasumi were away from the table.

"No comment," Ranma grinned.

"You'll notice my bride is a little out-of-sorts this morning," the doctor pointed out.

"O.K., that I'm a little sorry for," Ranma admitted. "But she keeps forgetting Akane and I are growing up. We're going to make our own decisions in our relationship."

"True enough on all counts," Tofu sighed. "Just be careful of her feelings too." Ranma nodded, so Tofu changed the subject. "Did you trance sleep at all?"

Ranma nodded and said: "I have a full charge. I also shared dreams with Akane and Ryoga after I rested. I wanted to go over some things with them."

"So, are you ready?"

"Yes," Ranma answered with full confidence.

"Do we ride or walk?"

"We walk. This is going to get messy, and I don't want horses that can be spooked. I also don't want to bring Cseri any allies. I'm the predator in Cseri's world," Ranma told him. "It's only 2km."

When they got outside though, they found Haruo with Kazue and three geldings waiting for them. "Do I want to know what's going on?" the ranch hand asked.

"No," Tofu answered succinctly.

"Her ladyship picked three of the calmest in the bunch. You'll take good care of them?" Haruo pressed. Tofu nodded. "All right, they'll be ready in fifteen minutes. See you then."

* * *

They passed Cseri's hidden house again and followed a trail uphill. Everyone was alert for traps or deadfalls. Finally the trail ended in a large clearing and a tall man wearing riding finery was waiting for them in the center of the field. "I said bring no one," Cseri stated.

"You said no such thing," Ranma retorted. "You were too busy gloating about how easy I was to trick into a challenge. They are my family, not my herd. They do as they please."

"There will be no outside help in this battle," Cseri demanded. Ranma said nothing; he just stared down Cseri.

Suddenly, Ranma found himself falling. He caught himself and landed upright on two feet with little effort. Before him was an early middle aged woman wearing riding boots, jeans, and a plaid shirt. Her blond hair was streaked with grey. "How about you, Father? Will you have no 'outside help'? Will you leave your servants out of it? Will you free your Elementals?" she demanded.

"I've told you time and time again, Kazue: my slaves are not your concern. And they are mine to do with as I please," Cseri retorted severely.

"You rail against the humans for enslaving us, but you're no better," she snapped.

"I am far superior to humans, as were you until you decided to mate with one," Cseri snapped. Ranma and company stood in amazement.

"You're not superior to anything, Cseri. Even the dumbest horse knows to leave foals alone," Kazue shot back. "You're a disgusting worm."

Cseri laughed and addressed: "What say you, Ranma of Nerima? Are you a little foal that needs its mother's protection, or are you a Stallion? Are you the Wild Horse or not?"

Ranma ignored Cseri and spoke to Kazue: "Lady Kazue, it's O.K. I listened to you; I really did. But the other horses have to leave now. It's really going to get unpleasant. Can you send them back to Cseri's house to wait for us? I don't want them hurt."

Kazue turned to Ranma and her eyes softened. "Silly colt," she said. She turned to Tofu and his horse and motioned for him to get down. Tofu did and Kazue touched her forehead to the horse's forehead. The horse pulled away and turned back down the trail. Akane and Kasumi slid off their horses and Kazue sent the other two horses after the first. Kazue reached out and tapped Akane under the chin twice. "I want the story when this is done, young one." Akane blushed slightly. Then Kazue stood with Akane, Tofu, and Kasumi and motioned them back out of the clearing.

When Kazue nodded to Ranma, the young man turned to face Cseri again. "Well, are you a Stallion or not?" Cseri demanded staring Ranma down.

"NOVA BURST" Ranma shouted.

* * *

A/N - Next up: Battle


	4. Battle

Chapter 4: Battle

As Ranma's Nova Burst hit Cseri's protection Circle, the Horse Mage was obscured in a half sphere of light. "Is that the best you…" Cseri started to taunt, but Ranma bent down to the ground and placed a finger on a large rock embedded in the dirt.

Ranma shouted "Breaking point!" and the rock broke cleanly in half. The cracking noise drowned out Cseri. Then Ranma placed one hand on each half of the rock and shouted "Breaking Point!" again. This time the field was ripped in half by a crevice that cut under Cseri's Circle and dropped the mage into it, Circle and all. Now Ranma slammed the ground, closing the crevice, but it did not close all the way on the (now) protection Sphere. Ranma hit the ground once more with both fists causing a one meter wave of earth to roll over the clearing, smashing the hidden pit falls and wrecking two other Circles that Cseri had hidden. The devastation was complete – the clearing looked like a freshly turned field. Ranma now sent his thoughts high into the air calling the Wind.

Cseri had switched back to his horse form and was struggling to get out of the crevice before Ranma buried him completely. The Horse screamed in Japanese: "Fight me like an Air Mage!"

"You asked for this!" Ranma called back as the results of his magic hit the clearing; a hurricane force wind exploded through the trees into the clearing. As it went, it snatched up the deadfalls Cseri had placed in the branches and bore down on Cseri. The horse didn't try to absorb Ranma's wind – that wouldn't have stopped the branches tumbling toward him. Instead, Cseri leaped free of the crevice as Ranma's wind stuffed it full again. "I prefer a level playing field, don't you?" Ranma said into the sudden silence. The four onlookers were stunned by the total destruction.

"I will destroy you," Cseri grated. A Chi blast flew from the horse's mouth, but Ranma was already moving. Instead of launching his own, Ranma snapped his fingers and a bubble of vacuum formed around Cseri. The horse panicked for a second as he suffocated, but then he remembered himself and spent energy to smash the bubble.

"You didn't really think I'd come in here with windstorms blazing, did you?" Ranma taunted. "A real Air Mage would just pull my Power from the air and feed it back to me through my teeth. When like fights like, it matters what else they know, doesn't it?"

"Let's see if you know this!" Cseri yelled out.

A lightning bolt flew from Cseri's mouth, throwing Ranma back against a tree. Ranma staggered away from the tree, shook his head, and leaped forward. "Sorry, only a two on the Akane Scale. My wife-to-be throws much harder ones." Cseri threw another lightning bolt, but Ranma was ready for it this time and it flowed away. "She's also taught me how to ground it out," the young man said.

Cseri ran at Ranma full speed, the horse's hooves churning the dirt beneath him. Ranma dodged the horse easily. Cseri turned and made a second attempt to trample Ranma, but the young man danced out of the way and launched a kick at Cseri's rump. The blow staggered the horse and Ranma added insult to injury by reaching out and yanking Cseri's tail. The horse was too off balance to lash out with a rear kick.

Cseri launched two more Chi blasts at Ranma in fast succession, trying to anticipate Ranma's dodge, but Ranma leapt upwards instead of to the side. When he came down, he triggered another Earth wave that Cseri had to leap over. Cseri then threw a Cloaking spell over himself and vanished. Ranma assumed a ready stance and waited. He didn't have to wait long; Cseri's form blurred the air as he tried to strike at the Martial Artist. Ranma easily parried the attack and counter attacked despite Cseri's blurring of his form. However, the blow was a glance strike at best. Once more Cseri vanished. Ranma waited again. A log, about half-a-meter thick, flew out of the forest at Ranma. The young man shattered it and resumed his ready stance without a word. He held the stance in silence as the seconds became minutes. His audience said nothing either, doing their best to be absolute silent.

Suddenly Ranma snapped his fingers and a Chi Blast flew from his hand to strike Cseri's hastily raised shield. "You can't mask your heartbeat," Ranma told the now visible horse. Annoyed, Cseri made a gesture and a second log flew at Ranma, but Ranma just shattered it again. Cseri vanished once more. Ranma now began to spin a small vortex about himself. It wasn't a very strong wind; all it could pick up was dust. But the dust began to fill the clearing. Ranma watched for eddies to form in the cloud. When the dust began to fall out of the air at one particular spot, the pigtailed man nailed Cseri with a Chi blast, knocking the horse off his feet. "We can do this all day," Ranma told the horse. "You can't hide from me."

Cseri managed to climb to his feet. "Very good, Ranma," Cseri huffed as the Martial Artist ran at him. "But how are you at Domination?"

Pain shot through Ranma's skull as Cseri's power squeezed his mind. It spread outwards in a shockwave along his limbs and torso so that it felt like he was being electrocuted. Ranma fell on the ground and tried to think around the agony. Cseri's torture pounded him relentlessly. "Not so cocksure now, are you boy?" Cseri's thoughts sounded contemptuously in his mind. "This is how my fights always end. Usually I get to toy with my opponent a little more though. You're not much fun though are you? You won't play my games, so this is the penalty – you suffer now." Ranma writhed on the ground, his limbs otherwise useless. Tofu had to stop Akane from running forward. "So what shall we do with you?" Cseri pondered. "Normally, I break and banish the Air Mage. I'm not sure I can break you without killing you though; you're a little too stubborn." He heard the horse approach.

"Banish?" Ranma gasped out through clenched teeth around the pain. "What…banished?"

"Oh, I don't allow any other Air Mages to live around me. There are no second battles. Once I win, I order the loser to leave Honshu and never return. My Domination ensures they are gone for good," Cseri explained coldly.

"No!" Ranma grated out.

"It's over Ranma," Cseri told him. "Accept your fate. It's banishment or death. You have no other options. This I promise you: I haven't done my worst yet."

Despite the pain, Ranma's defiance built inside of him. He managed to fight the twitching in his limbs down to a tremble. "You're the reason there are no Wind Mages around?" the young man ground out.

"A stallion leaves no challengers, Ranma."

"You…" Ranma hissed as he gathered his determination. "You think, you can just order me to leave Nerima? To leave my family?"

"Oh, you're leaving one way or another, little boy," Cseri said coldly. "It's either you break or I will kill you. You're done."

Ranma leaped up and smashed Cseri with an upper cut to the jaw screaming "YOU BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU!" The follow-up blow nearly crushed Cseri's windpipe. As it was, the horse was thrown back and fell. The animal then rolled away from Ranma and kept rolling. Ranma broke out in a bright blue aura. Cseri tried to establish Domination again, but Ranma's anger and aura defeated him. "How many lives have you wrecked?" Ranma growled as he stalked toward Cseri who was struggling to his feet. "How many families have you torn apart?"

Cseri tried to speak, but couldn't. Words blasted into Ranma's mind. "THEN DIE RANMA!"

Ranma was blasted back by the force of the wind. Desperately he tried to absorb it, but it wasn't a mage wind and it wasn't a normal wind. "Why can't I absorb it?" he thought desperately.

"Ranma! They're Elementals!" Tofu called out.

"Oh crap," Ranma thought. "I need to get away from them." He leap backwards, ricocheted off a tree, and leapt up and away. "NOVA BURST!" he yelled. As luck would have it, the Elementals were lit up by the blast. They appeared as four small spheres floating in the air. While probably not blinded by the blast, they were at least confused. Ranma used their hesitation to run at Cseri. The horse had been looking at Ranma without protection this time and was blinded. Ranma clocked him on the side of the head and Cseri went down once more. Then Ranma's premonition went off and he dodged the Wind attack again. "They're gonna keep up until they smash me against every tree and rock in this forest," he thought. "I need time to think! I hope this works!" Ranma invoked a Cloak. Immediately, the attack stopped.

"Find him! Find him and kill him! Do nothing else until you do!" Cseri roared as he staggered up.

Ranma smiled. He ran over to a knapsack Akane had brought along and found her canteen. He poured the water on him – now herself. Then she ran back at Cseri. Just before she slammed him in the jaw again, she lit up her aura. As he went down again, she said: "Now, where were we? Oh, right. I was kicking your lowlife ass!" With that she launched herself at his side and kicked hard, snapping a rib. Cseri screamed and rolled away again.

"Who's that?" Kazue demanded.

"Still Ranma," Akane told her.

"Oh, I *really* have to hear this story!"

"Kill her!" Cseri yelled at his Elementals (apparently he could see them at least) as he got up again.

"Oh no," Ranma said in a growl as she walked toward Cseri again. "Elementals are not willing servants. They do exactly what they are told. 'Do nothing else until you do!' They're looking for a guy right now, just as you said."

"Who are you?!" Cseri commanded, trying to use Domination again.

Ranma's re-awaken anger (and aura) defeated the Domination once more. "Ranma of Nerima, but you already knew that, jackass," she said as she launched herself into the air. She came down on his back and grabbed a fist full of mane. Cseri began bucking and trying to roll over but Ranma was raining blows down on his head and neck and the broken rib was severely hindering his movements. He threw himself against a tree, but Ranma only scrambled up, bounced off the tree and right back into position again, without ever letting go of the mane. Cseri jumped and bucked all over the clearing with Ranma astride his back; the red-headed woman never flinching or relenting in her beating. Finally, Cseri staggered once, and then dropped to his knees. Ranma gave him one more measured punch, and Cseri collapsed. Ranma leaped clear.

 _"Done,"_ Rera chimed in Ranma's mind.

 _"Did you know about the banishment?"_ Ranma asked.

 _"No, but this was definitely one of the things you and I had to fix,"_ Rera told him.

 _"Can you take care of the Elementals?"_

 _"Promise – tend to the living first,"_ Rera responded.

For a second, Ramna was afraid Rera meant that Ranma had killed Cseri, but then he understood. He waved over the four watchers. As they ran over, Ranma spoke to Tofu: "I broke one of his ribs. Can you fix it?" Tofu nodded and knelt down next to the injured horse."

"Don't fix it all the way," Kazue told the doctor. "Just make sure it can't kill him. Let him remember that he's mortal."

"That's a little harsh," Tofu observed.

"He deserves it," Kazue said harshly.

"I'm afraid he does," Ranma said. "He's the reason there are no Wind Mages on the main island. He's been using something called Domination to drive them away. Your friend in Hokkaido was probably one of his victims." Tofu's face became grim. "That's why I was screaming in pain earlier – it's a nasty thing."

Akane hugged Ranma then. "She's really him?" Kazue asked.

Akane nodded. "It's a really long story," the brown eyed woman said.

"We'll have time," Kazue said. "At least once we get back to the ranch."

"I have to free the Elementals first," Ranma said.

"You can do that?" Kazue questioned. At Ranma's nod, Kazue added: "We need to stop at the house then."

* * *

Later on that afternoon, Kazue sat with Ranma, Akane, Kasumi, and Tofu in a restaurant in a nearby town. "So you own the ranch then?" Tofu asked Kazue.

"Well, my grandson does," she replied. "I don't have a legal persona anymore. It's getting tougher and tougher to keep up with the ID laws these days. I have a room at the ranch that I keep my possessions in, but for the most part, I'm more comfortable in my birth form."

"If Cseri disapproves of you and you disapprove of him, why does he hang around here then?" Kasumi asked.

"Because he's always done as he pleases and when push comes to shove, I'm all he has. His other children have either died or passed out of knowledge. I suppose being a miser is all well and good, but it is awful lonely."

"A miser?" Akane questioned from where she leaned against Ranma. Ranma (now male) held her tight in his arms.

"A miser," Kazue reiterated. "He collected Power and nothing else. He never used any of it for anything useful – not even growth. No offense Ranma, but someone that old should have been worth a better fight."

"He was good enough," Ranma grumbled. "My skull still rings."

Kazue flashed him a smile. "Perhaps, but he could have been so much more."

"There still time," Tofu noted. "He's not dead yet."

"We'll see," Kazue shrugged. "I expect him to sulk for the next hundred years or so. He's been beaten. Stallions don't take that well. Between that and the loss of his Elementals, I don't think you'll have any more trouble from him. Horses worry about staying alive, we don't bother with revenge."

"I wish there was something we could do about his other challengers, though," Tofu said. "We could use more mages this summer. Like it or not, Cseri was doing Henna's job for her."

"A battle for the Soul of Japan if I understood you right..." Kazue mused. "Well, I'm not really a mage, but is there something I can do to help?"

"Actually, there is," Ranma said. Kazue looked interested. "Across the world, there are these things called Nexuses. There's one in Nerima, and I'm tied into it. A Nexus is a crossroads of Life – all Life. The more I understand it, the better I can protect it."

"All right, but how can I help? I've never heard of a Nexus before," Kazue pointed out.

"Yes, but it's Life I need to understand. I've learned about many different species, usually through an Elder Animal. You've already taught me a lot, but can you please teach me more? You showed me the dark side of being a horse, but you *like* your birth form. Can you show me why? Can you show me the good side?"

Kazue thought about that for a few moments. Then she grinned and said: "I may be able to help you, but there's a price."

"What's that?" Ranma asked.

"Start talking! Let's start with the shape-shifting…"

* * *

The next morning before the crack of dawn, Ranma and Akane met Kazue outside the guest house. Kazue was in her birth form sans saddle and bridle. "Climb up both of you!" Kazue commanded with her thoughts. "Come feel what it's like to race the morning sun!" Without a word, the young couple did as they were told and let their teacher carry them away.

Tofu and Kasumi watched them go from their bedroom window. Kasumi gave a big sigh. Tofu gave her a kiss. "Sorry love, but she's all grown up," he said. "It's her destiny to ride the wild horse."

Kasumi sighed again, and then a thought struck her. She promptly grabbed her pillow and began beating her laughing husband soundly.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the story. Thanks for reading! I'm still working on the last story of the series, "The Solstice". Look for it in a few months. In the meantime, keep reading and writing!


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